The Taste of Rain
by Wambulus
Summary: Starfire has vulture wings, Cyborg is the colors of the rainbow, Robin sounds like a low violin, and Beast Boy is ever changing. Raven has a new power...But theres something that comes with this power... A price, you might say. BBxRae Chp 5 up
1. Fight

**Chapter 1: Fight**

_He had Robin's legs wrapped with a chain that looked as thick as a snake. He was seemingly out of gadgets on his belt, or couldn't get to his belt, and was dragging himself slowly over to Starfire. _

_He had Starfire engulfed with some kind of sticky netting, which was tightly wrapped around her whole body; enabling her to move._

_Cyborg had been missing him with his Sonic Cannon, as he easily jumped in and out of the blue streams of power. He sent something flying at his hand, lodging it directly into Cyborg's cannon, making it a futile weapon. _

_As Cyborg ran towards him, fist raised, he noticed Beast Boy following him not far behind. _

_Cyborg swung random punches at him, which he easily dodged. He quickly jumped over Cyborg, and as he flew overhead he sent something onto his metal back, which quickly beeped and took off- a rocket. _

_Beast Boy then charged at him, as a muscular ox. _

_With one sweep of his hand, a black net was thrown on Beast Boy, and instantly enveloped him. _

"_AHHHH! Let me out of here!" He yelled, as Raven saw the different outlines of animals form inside the net. Rhino, Elephant, T-Rex, something with wings; the net wouldn't break._

_Raven took off to help Cyborg, but before she could get far; He was standing in front of her._

_She made various objects come crashing down on him, all of which he also dodged._

_She quickly looked around to see what else she could control, when he shot a red laser at her. _

_Raven floated in and out of shots, staying just ahead of a laser beam. _

_He easily jumped up to a vertical beam, meeting her level._

_He fired at her from midair; she created a shield around herself, and both it and the beam disintegrated when they made contact. Such a blow sent her falling to the ground warily. _

_He jumped down to join her._

_He then ran toward her and started throwing punches, which she stopped by forming small barriers in front of herself as she slowly backed up with each blow._

_He sent a low kick that cut her legs out from under her; causing her to fall. He got on top of her and pinned her down, and aimed his weapon at point-blank rang._

_He had his hand raised, she lay under him, and Starfire had just blasted off Robin's chains._

_Everything seemed to become slow and choppy from that point. _

_Raven could hear Beast Boy bashing into walls, trying to get the net to break. She could hear Cyborg's yells of frustration as he zipped around the warehouse. She felt the heat radiating from his laser cannon as he aimed it strait at her head. _

"_Raven!" She heard Robin's voice shutter through her ears, the floor lightly vibrating as his metal toed boots thumped against the floor._

_She saw a piece of blonde hair slip out from behind His mask, as everything instantly sped up and a blast of his red light shot through her. _


	2. Coma

**Chapter 2: Coma**

Starfire sat on the couch, her eyes billowing up with tears.

"But- Why, Robin? Why?"

"I…Don't know, Star…"

"…"

"I should have run faster. I shouldn't have let that guy get those chains on me. I should have jumped or yelled, or something. I could have saved her…"

"Come on man, don't say that. I was stupid enough to have a rocket strapped onto my back. Twice."

"…"

She sat there for a long time. She had her hands folded across her chest, a gray rain cloud hovering over her long, red hair.

In the cloud, a picture of Raven reading seeped in. Then a picture of Raven and herself sitting among flittering rows of candles; a crystal ball being held by one of Raven's soft, pale hands.

Then she saw a splitting image of Raven dangling limply from Beast Boy's uncontrollable beast within him. Then another image of the look on her face when she was truly, horribly, scared.

She shuttered and held her self tighter.

Continuous rain fell from the cloud, making her misty face look even more distraught.

"I would like to apologize for anything I've done to bring harm or suffering to Raven…Can you please…Wake her up?"

Beast Boy looked over to Cyborg, who was leaning against the Fridge in the kitchen.

Robin exchanged glances with Beast Boy, and then looked to Cyborg.

Silence fell across the room.

"Will someone answer me, please!" She sadly called out, the tone of confusion spread through her voice.

Robin looked at Cyborg. Robin's mask hid his true feelings well. He didn't have any eyes. Just whites.

He gave a slight nod.

"Star…I don't know if you've…Um…Well, when you're in a coma, you go into a long, deep sleep." Cyborg began.

"Yes! Sleep! You see? The earthly function of replenishing the bodily energies! Only that, and nothing more. I do not know why you do not just simply wake her-"

"Um…And sometimes, Star, you don't always wake up…" He finished.

The look on Starfire's face was a mix of sick surprised horror, and complete devastation.

She brought her hand to her mouth, and shakily stood.

"You don't mean…" She began, her voice quavered on the brink of bursting into a thick sob.

She seemed to be at a loss for words, or at least couldn't find the strength to speak with out completely losing control of her emotions stirring inside of her.

A low, guttural moan could be heard from her deep in her throat.

"Star, I know you feel bad. But, when you are a Titan…"

_How could they just sit here? Why weren't they doing anything to help her? _

"…you have to put these things in front of your own wishes…"

_They are just sitting here, trying to make me feel better. I want Raven to be better…_

"To help save someone else's life."

_They don't understand. They don't care. How could they?  
_

"Star?"

…

"Star?"

…

"Starfi-"

"You don't understand! None of you do! You are all wasting your time sitting here! Why? Why aren't you trying to help Raven? Save _Raven's_ life!"

She yelled, her eyes taking on a fiery green.

The rain cloud evaporated away, as she stomped her way through the living room. There were tears falling from her eyes, Beast Boy could see.

But she didn't sob, or groan.

She held it in. Instead of the light, cheery girl that had sometimes brought a smile to your face was now confused, sad, and made you feel like you've brought a horrible plague among your closest friends.

Raven was in a coma, but he did visit her. In the middle of the night, when he couldn't sleep, he would go down stairs and sneak into the Infirmary Room.

She would not levitate, like she had so once before. She wasn't trying to heal herself, which worried him. Her skin was pale, and expressionless. Her eyes were shut, taking on a shadowed darkness.

She looked scary, in a sense. She was all wired up with IV tubes, wires running from her skin, monitors everywhere, blinking lights and electronics.

The only thing that scared him the most was the mark on her head.

He guessed the Boy had tried to spare her, and "accidentally" shoot off, when he was at point blank range.

He guessed he had a thing for her, to spare her life.

And sometimes Starfire would be there, and join him.

She would talk to Raven, mindless conversation. She said that like plants, if you talk to them they will grow strong and healthy.

She asked him questions.

Questions he didn't want to answer.

But she had to know.

And this night, he waited till 4:30 am to turn into a moth, and flutter into her room.

Starfire wasn't there this evening, but Robin was.

Robin had fallen asleep.

His spiky head lay at her side, as they both silently slept.

Beast Boy decided not to go that night.

So, he left Robin with Raven, and went into his room, and lay in his bed- until morning.


	3. Bath

**Chapter 3: Bath**

She didn't_ want_ to do it.

But she had to do it, Robin had explained.

She was the only other girl, and Raven needed it.

It wasn't like Starfire minded, but; the feeling of her so helpless and vulnerable scared her. She felt like she owed something to Raven.

Her body was limp, and uncontrollable.

She felt like loose jelly wobbling between her arms, unlike the strong girl she had once fought alongside with.

And so, she was drying her off.

Cyborg had given her a very large shirt and sleeping shorts, to change Raven into.

She supposed it would be better for Raven. His clothes looked much more comfortable then her usual skin tight body suit.

She was thinking about things.

She held Raven's hair brush and was brushing her soft, purple hair.

It was so quiet.

On her many trips to visit her at night, She would ask Beast Boy questions.

She wanted to know why there wasn't a cure for this.

She wanted to know why he had chosen Raven, and not her.

She also wanted to know why he sometimes doesn't come visit her.

She stopped brushing her hair.

She pulled the plug to the drain of the tub, lifted Raven, and turned off the light as she headed back into the Infirmary Room.


	4. Blink

**Chapter 4: Blink**

He remembered, from a distant memory, when Raven told him something he'd never forget.

He had told her, that if she were ever to become hurt, or had to be hospitalized and couldn't move- that she wanted him to watch her.

He didn't know why she chose him, of all people.

He didn't even know why she told him that at the time. Maybe she looked into one of her crystal balls and saw her future. Maybe it was a feeling she had.

Whatever it was, he was not going to let her down.

He was going to stay by her side, _no matter what_.

He felt a horrible feeling, a feeling of sadness and guilt sweep over him in a cold, thick wave.

He felt obligated to stay by her side.

He felt like _he had_ to do.

Maybe it was because she trusted him.

If she trusted him, why did he let her down? Why did he let her end up like this?

Why didn't he do something to _stop that Boy_?

He sighed.

Maybe it was because, he trusted her as well?

If he couldn't move…And was hurt…Would he want Beast Boy watching him?

No, he wouldn't.

It was partly because of his mask.

He could easily see Beast Boy become so curious and lift up his mask, little buy little…

He shook the thought.

He glanced over to the clock that seemly ticked louder, and louder every hour.

1:05 am.

_Great._

Then, he saw it.

It was quick, but he saw it.

Her eyes, they opened.

All of a sudden, a rush of emotions ambushed over him.

He couldn't move.

His breathe caught in his throat.

But her eyes, he couldn't look away.

They were not like the calm, relaxed indigo he was familiar with- but a bright, shocking violet.

Her pupils were small, and she seemed to be over come with an unknown fear.

An unsettling fear.

And just like that, they were closed- in the blink of an eye.


	5. Run

**Chapter 5: Run**

It had never occurred to her how cold it would be, since she had not once left the safety of the Tower after dark.

Until tonight.

She hurriedly ran through the streets of the city- the colorful lights and sounds slowly fading away as she stumbled further and further into some of the darker parts of Jump.

A tangled mess of shadows and lucid wonder creeped slowly up from behind her. Houses stacked side by side lurked around her in a dim veil of vulgar enigma.

She wrapped her hands around her cold body.

She couldn't take it.

She was trying all she could to be good. To be cooperative. To be out of the way.

_Raven needed help. **Why** wouldn't anyone **do anything**? _

It was hard to be the only one. It was hard to be different. It felt like she was the _only_ one that wanted to take action, to do something.

She felt an utter feeling of dread press heavily on her chest, the feeling of sad, sickly thick solitude.

She felt alone. She had never felt such a feeling, the feeling of being utterly lost and confused.

There was no one there to lend a hand, there was no warm shoulder to lean on, and there was certainly no one to stop her.

No one would stop her from running.

No one would stop her from asking questions.

No one would stop her from helping Raven.

No one _could._

And so she ran through the cold fogs of Jump City, dark shadows lolling out of ally ways, lights becoming dimmer and dimmer, and the rest of the Titans following her.

They didn't understand.

She was going to find someone to help her.

Maybe a doctor.

Or…

Maybe…

Cough.

Her hair whipped sharply around her face, her feet becoming sore from the running.

She coughed again.

Her breath oozed out of her mouth and into the cold air, creating a ghostly white fog that clouded around her.

She turned to look back at Robin, only to be greeted by a loss of balance.

She fell hard to the ground, her face splintering against the cold, wet concrete of the abandoned ally.

She felt something jab at her throat- a loss of air rushing out of her nose. She quickly stood on an arm and grabbed her mouth, picking a sharp rock out of her chin.

She rubbed her throat, a sharp pain coursing up her jaw and to her ear.

Her lip quivered.

She held her stomach.

"Starfire!"

His voice echoed through her ears, she was ahead of him.

A churning pain stabbed her sharply in her stomach as she tried to stand.

She limped her way along the walls, her hand grasping for anything she could find.

Again she coughed, a hot wet cough that sickly winded up her throat.

"Star! You don't have to run; when we get home we'll do some more tests on her!" Cyborg's voice could be heard, they were catching up on her.

She didn't want to do tests. She wanted Raven to become better.

She didn't want to have to watch her lie helplessly in a bed, wasting her life away.

She did want to do one thing though, and that was find that Boy.

That Boy who had the nerve to pin Raven down, and…

She felt a sparkling black light fuzz seep from the insides of her eyes, losing balance again. The black engulfed her, and she fell into the cold hard wall.

"Starfire!"

She felt her stomach again; sharp pain shot around her insides as she felt an uncontrollable scream escape her mouth.

The scream seemed to travel all around her in waves, bouncing off the grimey brick walls and shattering in her ears.

She felt things fade away from all around her, thoughts fading as well, and everything slowly went black.


End file.
